Forty years of ruffling feathers and the Queen of Pop still reigns supreme

OVER the course of her 40 years in pop, it’s certainly true that Madonna has ruffled a few feathers.

From being condemned by the Vatican, to being threatened with arrest by the Canadian police for simulating masturbation on a velvet bed during the Blond Ambition tour, few other pop stars are as provocative, and one of the best things about Madonna is how much she clearly enjoys prompting a bit of pearl clutching.

Little has changed in this regard; the opening night of The Celebration Tour incorporated writhing masses of bodies, rings of fire, oily-torsoed dancers crucified on a spinning carousel and a variation on the famous bed sequence (this time, she’s joined by a companion wearing a flesh-coloured mask) for a snippet of Papa Don’t Preach.